Method and apparatus for processing radionavigation signals for atmospheric monitoring

1. A measurement system for generating ionospheric phase scintillation measurements based on at least one Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal from a satellite-borne transmitter of a GNSS, the measurement system comprising, in a ground-based receiver: a data acquisition module, a demodulator module and an atmospheric monitoring algorithms module arranged in an open loop configuration; wherein the data acquisition module is adapted to receive said GNSS signal and includes a reference clock and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to the reference clock, the ADC being adapted to generate a plurality of intermediate frequency (IF) samples (r) under the timing of the reference clock, each IF sample having an associated time tag (TOW) derived from said reference clock; wherein the demodulator module is adapted to receive said IF samples (r) and associated time tags (TOW) and auxiliary data related to said satellite system, the auxiliary data includes ephemeris information (ATM), and is adapted to generate correlator values (Y i ) therefrom; and wherein the atmospheric monitoring algorithms module is adapted to receive said correlator values (Y i ) and to generate therefrom said phase scintillation measurements (σ φ ); and wherein the atmospheric monitoring algorithms module includes a phase process reconstruction algorithm, the phase process reconstruction algorithm comprising: de-rotating the current correlator values (Y i ) by a previous phase estimate; estimating a residual phase (ϕ) using a discriminator; and computing a current phase (θ) as a sum of the previous phase and the current residual phase (ϕ).

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data acquisition module is adapted to output each IF sample (r) as a tagged IF sample (r), each tagged IF sample (r) comprising an IF sample (r) tagged with a respective time tag (TOW).

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the demodulator module is adapted to receive said tagged IF samples (r), whereby each correlator value (Y i ) generated by the demodulator module is associated with a respective time tag (TOW).

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data acquisition module comprises a time tagging module adapted to output said time tags (TOW) synchronously with a respective IF samples (r).

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data acquisition module comprises a time tagging module coupled to the reference clock, time tagging module being adapted to operate as a local counter representing local time, the count of the local counter being incremented as each IF sample (r) is generated.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data acquisition module comprises a down-converter adapted to generate analog IF signals from the radionavigation signals, the down-converter operating based on a conversion signal derived from the output of the reference clock.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the data acquisition module comprises a PLL coupled to receive the output of the reference clock, wherein the PLL drives a VCO that provides the conversion signal to the down-converter.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reference clock has a degree of alignment with a time-frame of the radionavigation signal of less than one tenth of the period of a ranging-code chip of the radionavigation signal.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reference clock has a degree of alignment with a time-frame of the radionavigation signal such that it can be used to propagate an estimate of time, for the generation of time-tags, with an accuracy of about 1 nanosecond.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reference clock is adapted to propagate from an initial synchronization point, corresponding to an initial time-tag, forward in time.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reference clock comprises a perfectly modelled clock, wherein said time tags are derived from time signals propagated from a signal synchronization point in the past using a predetermined sample period.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reference clock comprises a disciplined oscillator, the disciplined oscillator including an internal oscillator and being adapted to receive a disciplining clock signal from an external frequency standard.

13. The system of claim 12 , operable in an initiation phase and a data acquisition phase, wherein the reference clock is operable such that disciplining by the disciplined oscillator is active during the initiation phase and disabled during the data acquisition phase.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the external frequency standard is provided by one of a GNSS signal and a GPS Disciplined Oscillator (GPSDO) signal.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reference clock comprises a free running clock upon which live modelling of its unknown parameters are performed using a clock estimation algorithm.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the reference clock is operable to measure estimated clock parameters, and accurately propagate the time-tags from an initial synchronization point based on the estimated clock parameters.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the estimated clock parameters are measured from radionavigation signals from a first set of satellite-borne transmitters and wherein the radionavigation signal(s) received by said data acquisition module are from one or more satellite-borne transmitters of a second set of satellite-borne transmitters, the first set and the second set not having a satellite-borne transmitter in common.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary data includes a receiver related parameter (Rec.), the receiver related parameter representing a piecewise continuous trajectory of the receiver antenna in an earth centred, earth fixed frame.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary data includes orbital parameters (S.V.) of a satellite upon which the transmitter is mounted.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the orbital parameters (S.V.) comprise broadcast ephemerides.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the broadcast ephemerides comprise GNSS ephemerides or precise ephemerides.

22. The system of claim 1 , wherein the demodulator module includes a user receiver model for receiving a time tag (TOW) and the receiver related parameter (Rec.), and for outputting a receiver related time delay (δt RX ).

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the demodulator module includes a space vehicle model, the space vehicle model being adapted to receive a time tag (TOW) and the orbital parameters (S.V.), and to generate a space vehicle related time delay (δt SV ).

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the demodulator module includes an atmospheric model, the atmospheric model being adapted to receive the time tag (TOW), the receiver related time delay (δt RX ), the space vehicle related time delay (δt SV ) and the ephemeris information (Atm.), and to output an atmosphere related time differential (δt A ).

25. The system of claim 23 , wherein the demodulator module is adapted to generate a first sum comprising the sum of the receiver related time differential (δt RX ) and the space vehicle related time differential (δt SV ), and to generate a second sum comprising the sum of the first sum and the atmosphere related time differential (δt A ) in order to generate a signal related time delay (t SIG ).

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the demodulator module further includes a code and carrier MCO, adapted to receive the signal delay (t SIG ) and to generate an estimate (ŝ i ) for input to a DMF.

27. A measurement method for generating ionospheric phase scintillation measurements based on at least one Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal from a satellite-borne transmitter of a GNSS, the method comprising: providing a data acquisition module, a demodulator module and an atmospheric monitoring algorithms module arranged in an open loop configuration in a ground-based receiver, wherein the data acquisition module includes a reference clock and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to the reference clock; receiving, using the data acquisition module, said GNSS signal, the ADC being adapted for generating therefrom a plurality of intermediate frequency (IF) samples (r) under the timing of the reference clock, each IF sample having an associated time tag (TOW) derived from said reference clock; receiving, using the demodulator module, said IF samples (r) and associated time tags (TOW) and auxiliary data related to said satellite system, the auxiliary data includes ephemeris information (ATM), and generating correlator values (Y) therefrom; and receiving, using the atmospheric monitoring algorithms module, said correlator values (Y i ) and generating therefrom said phase scintillation measurements (σ o ); and wherein the atmospheric monitoring algorithms module includes a phase process reconstruction algorithm, the phase process reconstruction algorithm being adapted for: de-rotating the current correlator values (Y i ) by a previous phase estimate; estimating a residual phase (ϕ) using a discriminator; and computing a current phase (θ) as a sum of the previous phase and the current residual phase (Φ).

28. A recordable, rewritable or storable medium having recorded or stored thereon data defining or transformable into instructions for execution by processing circuitry and corresponding to at least the steps of claim 27 .

29. A server computer incorporating a communications device and a memory device and being adapted for transmission on demand or otherwise of data defining or transformable into instructions for execution by processing circuitry and corresponding to at least the steps of claim 27 .